Fairytale Games
by EnigmaticFaith
Summary: Sometimes life's like a fairytale, othertimes people play games. Who will win this one? S/V AU
1. Playing Games

Chapter 1- "Playing Games"  
  
The sun was bright, the day warn for early May, but it was perfect weather for a picnic at the park and a little pretending.  
  
"I am the big bad troll," a man called to a little girl who stood at the foot of a bridge. "Unless you give me something good to eat, you will never cross my bridge!"  
  
She let out a childish laugh as she drew a stick up as a sword.  
  
"Unless you hand over the princess," she called back, "you will never eat another meal!"  
  
"Who said anything about me having the princess? Why do trolls always get branded as bad guys?"  
  
"Daddy!" The little girl sighed. "If you aren't going to play fair, I don't want to play with you anymore."  
  
"It was just an honest question," he objected.  
  
After throwing down her weapon of choice, with a roll of her eyes the little girl turned and ran in the opposite direction-back to the playground and the swings.  
  
"Alissa Marie Vaughn!" The man yelled at his daughter's small, retreating back.  
  
Michael Vaughn let out a sigh as he heard light laughter behind him.  
  
"It looks like the princess won't be saved today will she?"  
  
"Well, it depends," he replied as arms wrapped around his waist. "Does Princess Sydney want to be saved?"  
  
"Not when her captor is as cute as you are. Why do you always play the bad guy? I always saw you as my Prince Charming and I though princes were frogs not trolls."  
  
"Who said I wasn't a frog before?" he asked as he turned and faced her.  
  
"Well," Sydney began as she removed her arms from his waist and snaked them around his neck, "a frog is suppose to turn into a prince when a princess kisses it, so you should have been a frog when I first met you, unless there was another princess. Is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
"You're such a tease," he muttered as his mouth descended on hers and he pulled her closer to him by wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
They were both too involved to notice soft footsteps behind them. Their public make-out session was cut short by a stick that found itself poking into Michael's back.  
  
"Daddy, do you know what Uncle Eric told me?"  
  
Michael reluctantly pulled his mouth away from Sydney's as he let out a small sigh. "No, what did he tell you?" he asked his daughter who he knew was the welder of the "sword".  
  
Sydney restrained a giggle and laid her head on Michael's shoulder. "You gotta tell him to stop teaching her things," she playfully whispered.  
  
"Tell me about it," was his reply. "Alight, Alissa. What did Uncle Eric say?"  
  
"'No PDA.' That's what he said."  
  
As she bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud, Sydney's body shook against her husband's from the laughter that was being contained inside.  
  
"PDA," Michael repeated. "Honey, do you know what PDA means?"  
  
To anyone observing, the question would seem a bit absurd. Why question if she knew what it meant if she was using the word in the correct context? The casual observer however, would not be able to tell that the smart little girl picked up on things and used them where she thought they went. Most times, she got lucky. No one but people who really knew her-such as her parents or her "Uncle Eric"- realized she wasn't as old as she acted. She was only four, not the seven or eight she acted.  
  
She was an exquisite replica of her mother with the exception of her eyes that were the same brilliant jade orbs that her father had. The brown hair, that was pulled into pigtails for this outing, had a soft, natural curl to it when it hung free. Sydney's hair had been the same when she was little.  
  
As Alissa stood contemplating an answer, she reminded Michael so much of Sydney. It was impossible not to see the resemblance, and Michael loved having the two most beautiful girls in the world. He may have been slightly biased, but he knew he could get Jack to agree with him.  
  
"PDA means." even trying as hard as she could, Alissa couldn't come up with an answer, so she decided to try something else. "Wanna know what else Uncle Eric said?"  
  
Her parents both knew her tactic, but decided to let it go. Neither of them wanted to explain what 'PDA' meant to a four-year-old. One could only imagine the questions that would come from that discussion!  
  
"What kind of stuff is he teaching you now?" Sydney inquired as she looked down at her daughter.  
  
"He told me to make sure you didn't kiss."  
  
"Why did he say that?" Michael asked, curious as to what how his friend had defended his command.  
  
"Well," Alissa began, "he told me because it was yucky, but I think it was because of something else."  
  
"And why else would he say, 'no kissing'?" Sydney wondered.  
  
Alissa looked around cautiously before replying in a whisper, "I think he's jealous he doesn't have someone to kiss him. 'Cuz you do, and Uncle Will does and even Mr. Marshall does! Poor Uncle Eric must be lonely. Mommy, do you know anyone Uncle Eric can kiss?"  
  
Michael's eyes began to twinkle, which didn't go unnoticed.  
  
"Michael," Sydney warned before turning back to her daughter. "Nope. I don't know anyone that Uncle Eric can kiss."  
  
"You have to know someone! Come on, Mommy, you know everyone!"  
  
"No, Mommy doesn't know everyone, but your Mommy does know that it's time for lunch. So, you go with Daddy to our spot, and I'll go get the basket from the car. Sound good?"  
  
"Okay!" Alissa excitedly replied. As she turned to begin to run to a large tree a few yards away that they had labeled "their spot", she called over her shoulder, "You better kiss again quick, so I can pretend like you didn't do it!"  
  
"Think we should take her up on her offer?" Michael asked, but he didn't wait for a reply or permission before starting down again.  
  
This kiss wasn't as long as the one before it as they were once again interrupted by their daughter.  
  
"That's long enough!" she yelled. "I would be in trouble with Uncle Eric if he knew I was letting you kiss!"  
  
"Your daughter is special, ya know," Sydney said.  
  
"Yeah, so is her mother."  
  
With a beaming smile, Sydney whispered, "I'll go get the basket, you go keep her out of trouble, if you can stay out of trouble yourself."  
  
"As long as you're not there, I think I can behave," Michael grinned. "Just don't be gone too long."  
  
"Alright, I'm going. Now get over there," she turned and walked toward the car as Michael turned and walked in the opposite direction to where their daughter sat waiting. The day was looking nice for them already, and he couldn't wait to see what else it would hold. 


	2. Learning The Rules

Chapter 2- "Learning the Rules"  
  
Alissa sat in Michael's lap under a tree as they waited for Sydney to return with the picnic basket. The tree was giving enough shade from the bright rays of the sun and with the gentle breeze that was brushing against their skin, the temperature was near perfect.  
  
"No! Stop, Daddy!" Alissa giggled as Michael tickled her. When he complied, she snuggled into him. "Tell me a story!" She commanded.  
  
"A story? What kind of story?"  
  
"A princess story! Please, Daddy?"  
  
"You've heard all the fairy tales I know. Your Mommy is the one who knows all the fairy tales-"  
  
"They're princess stories!"  
  
"Okay, your Mommy knows all the princess stories," Michael allowed. "Plus, we don't have enough time, she should be back with our lunch soon."  
  
Michael could hear the pout in Alissa's voice when she replied, "But Daddy Where is Mommy? Do you think she'll tell me a princess story? She's really good at telling princess stories."  
  
"Is Mommy better then I am?"  
  
"Well...I'm not suppose to tell you that. Mommy told me that was mean and it would hurt your feelings. Would it?"  
  
"No, it's okay. Your Mommy is very special. There are a lot of things she does better then I do."  
  
"Yep! Like making pancakes, coloring pictures..."  
  
"Hey! I thought you weren't suppose to tell me this."  
  
Alissa's hands shot up to cover her mouth, as her eyes grew wide. "Oops! I'm sorry Daddy! You know what though?" she whispered, as if she knew a secret. "You make a better troll then Mommy does."  
  
With a smile, he kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, sweetheart. Wanna go on a mission?"  
  
"Like real spies? Can we?" Alissa excitedly asked.  
  
"Yes, we can...not like real spies, but-"  
  
"Because you don't know how to be like a real spy, do you Daddy? Do you want to be like James Bond?"  
  
"Not exactly," Michael cautiously replied.  
  
He and Sydney had tried to stay away from talking about anything work related around Alissa. Before Alissa had been born, Sydney had quit the CIA to prepare herself for staying at home with their child. It had been a mutual decision that had been supported by most, with only a few objections from people like Kendall, who felt it was Sydney's job to help them capture Sloane. He was still at large, but they had learned years ago that they couldn't let him control their lives, to keep them from living.  
  
Sydney and Michael didn't hide any of their friendships with the numerous people that Sydney had worked with and that Michael still did. People such as Eric Weiss, Marshall Flinkman and Marcus Dixon were known and loved by Alissa, who they adored in turn.  
  
They kept most things spy related away from her. Michael wasn't even sure how she knew about James Bond. He and Sydney hated spy movies because of past experiences and the unrealistic storylines. If they wanted to watch something to make them laugh, then would have rented a comedy. The only way Alissa would have heard about James Bond would have been from Eric or Will. Since Suzie, Will's wife, wasn't very fond of action movies, Michael suspected the former.  
  
"Alright, Daddy what's our mission?" Alissa excitedly asked, her eyes shining.  
  
"We're going to go find your Mommy. She should be here by now."  
  
"Do you think she's hiding? Let's go find her!" Alissa squealed.  
  
So, the pair stood, and began their search where Sydney had gone to.the car.  
  
When they reached their destination, the sight that was waiting for them was suspicious looking. The car door had been left open and the picnic basket lay on its side next to the car. Michael's fears were confirmed when he found a note under a windshield wiper.  
  
Mr. Vaughn, As you may have noticed, your wife has been taken on a bit of an excursion. Nothing has happened to her, besides a headache that is likely to transpire. If you would like her back, you will need to comply quickly with these instructions. We're going to play a bit of a game. The princess has been captured, who can save her? Perhaps there are some clues to her location in the troll's dwelling. The only stipulation, the only rule for this game is that you keep your daughter out of the way. She is not to become a part in this. Make sure she remains safe. Good luck with your mission.  
  
Michael drew a sharp breath. Sydney was gone. Some one was playing a game with him, with his life, and at the moment, none of it made sense. His silent musings were broken when he felt someone tugging on his shirt.  
  
"What's that, Daddy? Is it a note from Mommy?"  
  
"Um, yeah, Alissa it is," he lied.  
  
What was he suppose to tell her? 'No, honey, it's a note from some psychopath who took your Mommy. I'm going to have to go and tell your grandpa so he can help me find her, because you see we're both really spies and we work for the CIA. So did your mom before you were born.' Somehow, that did not seem like the right thing to be telling a four year old with an active imagination.  
  
As he quickly read the note again, he noticed something he had not noticed before. 'Perhaps there are some clues to her location in the troll's dwelling.' Troll's dwelling.the bridge!  
  
"I think I dropped something by the bridge, honey. Wanna talk to Uncle Eric while I go get it?" Michael asked as he pulled his cell phone out from the pocket of his jeans.  
  
He surprised himself a little that he would leave her alone by the car, and he even doubted his decision after he asked, but based on the note, they didn't want anything to happen to Alissa, so she would be safe.  
  
"Okay, Daddy. Do you think he'll be mad at me?" Alissa worriedly asked.  
  
"Why would he be?"  
  
"'Cuz I let you and Mommy kiss. He told me not to!"  
  
She was too cute to laugh at. "No, I'm sure he won't care. Now when you talk to him, tell him that we're coming over for a little bit and that I'll talk to him when I get back to the car, okay?"  
  
Michael dialed the familiar number and waited until he heard it ring before he handed the phone over to his daughter.  
  
"Hi Uncle Eric!" She squealed. "No, Daddy wanted me to talk to you while he went and got something. Yep.yep.You know what? Guess what Mommy and Daddy did!"  
  
That was all Michael needed to hear. He knew she would be okay. As he began jogging back to the bridge to search for any clue he could find, his thoughts were filled with Sydney and the few years that they had spent together. Their wedding and Alissa's birth were two of the most impressionable ones, but as a whole, the memories were full of happy times. He didn't was to lose any of that.  
  
As he reached the bridge, he noticed a folded piece of paper. Its white contrast was reasonably noticeable against the black paint of the bridge, which led Michael the conclusion that it had just recently been placed there, or someone else would have noticed it laying there.  
  
Not even bothering to read it, Michael raced back to the car. The fact that the kidnapper could still be near didn't make his decision of leaving Alissa alone seem any wiser. His heartbeat calmed a bit when he saw her sitting on the hood of the car, with her feet swinging and phone pressed against her ear.  
  
"No!" She sighed into the phone. "I don't know what you're thinking mister, but.oh, hi Daddy! Uncle Eric, Daddy's back now, wanna talk to him. Okay. I know!" She rolled her eyes as she shoved the phone in her father's direction. "Talk to him, Daddy. I can't. He's making me to flustrated."  
  
Flustrated? Michael had to restrain from laughing, even with the present situation. As he took the phone from Alissa's hand, he helped her down from the hood and opened the car door for her. She climbed in, pulled the door shut, buckled her seat belt and sat patiently waiting for her father to climb in and start the car.  
  
"Eric?" Michael asked into the phone.  
  
"Yeah, who else? Alissa said something about you two coming over.where's Syd? I thought the three of you were at the park."  
  
"Um, yeah we were, but Syd's gone."  
  
There was a pause, then, "What do you mean gone?"  
  
"Gone means gone, Eric. Someone took her. I'm not sure what's going on for sure yet, but there were these notes and-" The conversation was interrupted by Alissa tugging on Michael's shirt. "Hold on a minute. Yes, Alissa?"  
  
"I forgot, I was suppose to give this to you," she handed him a piece of paper, which he unfolded and quickly read.  
  
"Oh, my word.Alissa, honey, where did you get this?"  
  
"A guy gave it to me and told me it was important that I gave it to you. Why? What does it say, Daddy?"  
  
"Don't worry about it, honey, just get back in the car," Michael replied. "Eric, we defiantly have a problem. We're on our way."  
  
"Alright, man. I'm not going anywhere. What was on that paper she just gave you?"  
  
"I'll bring it with me," he stated as he re-read it.  
  
I thought it was made clear that you were to keep your daughter safe. Leaving her alone like you just did wasn't very smart, Mr. Vaughn. This is just a fair warning. You have to play the game by the rules, or you'll lose.  
  
This was a game that he couldn't afford to lose. 


	3. Going For Visits

Chapter 3- "Going for visits"  
  
The drive to Eric Weiss' house took a shorter amount of time then usual. Michael was almost frantic, even to the point that he didn't notice anything else but the road and his worried thoughts for Sydney. He didn't even hear Alissa trying to get his attention from the back seat. Finally, after calling his name three times, she tapped him on the back.  
  
"Daddy."  
  
He briefly glanced behind him, remembering that he wasn't alone in the car. "Yes, 'Lissa?"  
  
"Where's Mommy? Why did we leave her at the park?"  
  
"She's not at the park. You remember that note that we found? It was telling me that Mommy had to go somewhere."  
  
It wasn't a complete lie, but Michael still hated telling her that. Knowing that the truth might have scared her a little bit, he decided that it was safer for her not to know what was going on.  
  
"So we are going to Uncle Eric's right? Because I told him we were and if we don't go, he'll be sad that we aren't coming," Alissa said seriously.  
  
"Yes, we're going to Uncle Eric's and he knows we're coming."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The car fell into silence, as they continued driving. Alissa watched the houses they passed, looking for something that seemed familiar. She knew the area near Uncle Eric's house, and she was watching for the houses that were close to him to come into view. Suddenly, a question popped into her head.  
  
"Daddy, what are we going to do at Uncle Eric's house?"  
  
"You're going to wait for Mommy to come back. She didn't say how long she would be gone, so I'm going to go find her. You're going to stay with Uncle Eric."  
  
"Oh.Do you think he knows any princess stories?"  
  
Michael let out a little sigh. "I don't know, honey. Maybe he does. You'll have to ask him."  
  
"Okay," she could tell her Daddy didn't want to talk.  
  
'Maybe he misses Mommy,' she thought. 'That's why he's so cranky.'  
  
She returned to gazing out the car window. That's when she noticed that she did know where they were.  
  
"Look! There's Uncle Eric's house!" She squealed with obvious excitement.  
  
As Michael drove into the driveway, the front door swung open and Eric Weiss stepped out. Alissa quickly took her seat belt off and flung open the door. In no time at all she was hugging her "Uncle" Eric's leg.  
  
"Hey, Kiddo. Are you taking care of your dad?" Eric asked with a wink.  
  
"I think he misses Mommy," she whispered back solemnly. "She went somewhere and didn't take him with her."  
  
"Well then, we better find her. Don't you think?"  
  
Eric unlatched her from his leg as he turned and greeted a distracted Michael who was meandering up the sidewalk.  
  
"Weiss," Michael began, "I need you to-"  
  
Michael's phone rang, cutting him off mid-sentence. Swiftly, he answered, having hope that maybe it would be Sydney on the other end.  
  
"Vaughn."  
  
"Michael, we need you to come down to the task center."  
  
"Alright," he sighed at the sound of Jack Bristow's voice. "Have you heard anything or had any leads?"  
  
"No. Nothing besides the notes that you have that our technicians are waiting to see," Jack hinted.  
  
"Okay, I'm on my way," he stated as he pushed the end button. "I have to go, Eric. Will you watch her for me?"  
  
Alissa looked up at her father with sad eyes. "Are you leaving me too, Daddy?"  
  
"I have to go find your Mommy. Stay here with Uncle Eric for me, Baby. Be a good girl."  
  
"Um, Mike," Eric cut in. "I'm going in too. She'll have to come with us."  
  
Michael began shaking his head with fervor. "She can't come. You'll have to stay with her. There aren't anymore options."  
  
"What about Will?" Eric inquired.  
  
Alissa shook her head. "Uncle Will's on vacation with Aunt Suzie. I can't stay here with Uncle Eric if he's going to work with you, Daddy. So, I get to go to work with you too!" She exclaimed with a broad smile as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands with joy.  
  
"Mike, we don't have any other options. What's it going to hurt? Just this once."  
  
"Sydney would kill me for taking her, not to mention what Jack will do!"  
  
"Sydney's gone. We have to get her back, Mike, and the easiest way to do that would be for you and I to go in and work on figuring those notes out. 'Lissa has to come with us. Sydney would understand," Eric assured. "Come on, man, we need to go now."  
  
Michael sighed and glanced down at his daughter, his reminder of what was taken. He had to protect her from all this. No matter what the consequences for him were, she had to be safe.  
  
"Sweetie," he got down on his knees so he would be at eye level with her. "Are you sure you want to go?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy. Please? I'll be a good girl. Just let me go with you and Uncle Eric. I won't be bad or bother you," she solemnly promised.  
  
"Oh, Honey, I'm not worried about you bothering me. You don't bother me. Come here," He held out his arms to her and she ran to him.  
  
As she flung her arms around his neck, she whispered, "I love you always, Daddy," in his ear.  
  
"I love you too, Baby. Always and forever," he replied back. Gently, he kissed her forehead and stood. He held out his hand to her, and she tightly grasped it with her own.  
  
"Come on, Uncle Eric! Time to go to work!" she exclaimed as she held her free hand out to Eric.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The ride to the JTF took about fifteen minutes. Besides Alissa's gleeful singing-along with the songs on the radio that she knew, the car ride was quiet. Michael was focusing on what he was going to tell Jack and Eric was playing games on his palm pilot, wishing he had remembered to grab his yo- yo.  
  
As Michael parked the car in the underground garage, Alissa asked excitedly, "Is this where you work, Daddy?"  
  
"Kinda. We're going to go in now, and find your grandpa, okay?"  
  
"Alright! Do you think he'll be surprised to see me? Oh! What's that?" Alissa pointed.  
  
Alissa had never been to work with Michael, and with so many new things to be seen, questions were inevitable. Doing their best to answer her questions and also continue moving inside, Eric and Michael replied without much detail. At the checkpoint, the men pulled out their badges and showed the guard. Alissa gave a broad smile to the man who was anonymous to her.  
  
"Hi! Do you work with my Daddy?"  
  
With an amused smile, the man replied, "I guess so. Does your Daddy work here?"  
  
"Oh, yes. He's very important," she nodded. "And my grandpa works here too. Do you know him?"  
  
"What's his name," the man inquired. "I may just know him."  
  
"Umm.It's Grandpa Jack. Jack.What is it again, Daddy?"  
  
"Bristow, honey."  
  
"Thank you. Jack Bristow," she proudly stated, not know how widely known and respected her grandfather truly was.  
  
"The Jack Bristow?" he asked in awe.  
  
Alissa looked up at her father, confused by the man's question. "Is there more then one grandpa, Daddy?"  
  
"No, Honey, there's only one. Come on, we gotta go find him now. Thanks, Rob," he addressed the guard.  
  
"No problem, Mr. Vaughn," Rob replied with a bemused look on his face.  
  
"Bye, Mr. Rob!" Alissa waved as they walked through a set of big double doors.  
  
The search for Jack- and consequently, Sydney- had begun. 


	4. Bedtime Stories

Chapter 4- "Bedtime Stories" 

****

After a stop at Michael's desk, and a quick survey of the room, Jack was found sitting at his desk, fervently scribbling away on a piece of paper.  Once Alissa caught sight of him, she released her father's hand and ran over to where the older man sat.

"Grandpa!"  She excitedly called.

Jack quickly found his granddaughter latched tightly onto his arm. 

"Hi, Sweetheart.  What are you doing here?"  Asked Jack, surprised to see a miniature Sydney attached to his arm.  And (knowing Michael and Sydney's policy about 'no work related matter in front of Alissa') in the same building that he and Michael worked in.

"Well," Alissa slowly and thoughtfully began.  "Mommy went somewhere, and so Daddy has to go find her, but Uncle Eric couldn't watch me, because he has to help find Mommy too, and Uncle Will and Aunt Suzie are on vacation somewhere, so I had to come to work with Daddy.  Are you mad at me for coming to your work?" she fearfully asked, seeing the look in his eyes.

Jack stood and picked Alissa up.  When she was eye-level with him, he replied, "Of course I'm not angry with you.  Can you sit here in my chair and guard my desk while I go speak with your father?"

"Sure!" she exclaimed, excited about her given task.

"Alight," Jack kissed her forehead lightly and set her down into his chair.  "I'll be right back."

However, Alissa was no longer paying attention to him.  She had found a much more interesting subject--her grandfather's spinning chair.  As she spun the chair, giggling through the ride, Jack walked over to where Michael and Eric stood watching.

"What were you thinking bringing her down here?"  Jack demanded. 

"I had no other choice.  There was no one to watch her, and someone has to watch her.  Here, read these," Michael passed the notes that had been left for him.

After reading them through, Jack handed them to Eric.  "Weiss, take these for analysis.  Fingerprints and handwriting type."

"Yes, Sir," Eric walked away

Michael followed Eric with his eyes and when he looked over at Jack's desk, the chair was empty, yet still spinning from its recent occupant.  

"Jack, did you see where Alissa went?"  He frantically asked as he searched the room with his eyes.

They both released a huge sigh of relief when they heard Alissa's giggling with her comment, "You're funny, Mr. Marshall!"

"Michael, you shouldn't have brought her," Jack stated firmly to his disheveled son-in-law.

"I had no choice, Jack," Michael firmly threw back.  "You read the notes.  She needs to stay safe.  What was I suppose to do with her?"

The older man shook his head and his eyes softened.  "I don't know Michael.  I do know that we have to find Sydney.  This game that whoever is playing…does not sound good.  We need to act swiftly.  Do you want to lead the team to find her when the time comes?  I'll stay here and run coms."

"Of course I do.  Eric could watch Alissa for me and-"

"Daddy."

Alissa was tugging on his sleeve.  Neither man had noticed her approaching them.

"What do you need, Honey?"

"I'm sleepy," she rubbed her eyes for emphasis. 

Michael glanced at his watch.  The time had flown by.  Between their picnic time at the park, the drive to Eric's and the time spent there and the drive here, he had paid no regard to the time.  It was now nearly 8:30, just past Alissa's bedtime.  

"Honey," Michael picked her up.  "Grandpa Jack and I need to stay here for a little bit longer and--"  

Alissa laid her head down against his chest and put her thumb in her mouth.  It was a habit she had developed when she was a baby.  She only did it when she was extremely tired, as the case was now.

Eric Weiss walked up on this scene.  It only took him a few seconds to sum up what was going on.

"Hey, Alissa, it's past your bedtime.  Let's go to my house, let your Dad and your grandpa work, and you can go to bed, alright, honey?"

A tired head nodded as she held her arms out to him, waiting for him to hold her.

Michael kissed Alissa's forehead.  "Thank you," he whispered as he handed his daughter over to his best friend.  

"No problem.  Don't work all night, Mike.  Go home and get some sleep.  You can come get Alissa in the morning, or I can bring her home.  Just call and let me know tomorrow."

"Alright," came Michael's answer.  "Bye, Sweetheart.  Be good for Uncle Eric, alright?"

"I will Daddy," came the sleepy reply.  "Tell Mommy I said goodnight, okay?"

Her sweet innocence made Michael want to cry.  He had to swallow a lump in his throat before he could respond to her.  "I will.  Sleep tight," he managed with a smile.

Alissa waved over Eric's shoulder as they exited the building.

~*~*~*~*~

"Alright, Miss Alissa," Eric Weiss tucked the covers around his favorite four year old, "time for bed!  All set?"

"No, you have to tell me a story first, Mommy always does."

"_'Mommy always does'_," he muttered.  "What kind of stories does your Mommy tell you, Alissa?"

He was positive that there were no spy stories shared in the Vaughn house, and he wanted to make sure that he told Alissa something that he wouldn't regret later.  He may be bigger then Sydney, and still in the employ of the CIA, but she could still kick his butt in more ways then he cared to count.  

"Well," Alissa thoughtfully began, "usually she tells me princess stories.  Those are my favorite."

"Princess stories?  What's a princess story?"

Sighing with impatience and rolling her eyes, she replied haughtily, "Come on, Uncle Eric!  A princess story!  You know, where there's a prince and a princess and they fall in love and it always ends in happily ever after.  A princess story!"

Understanding dawned on him.  "Oh!  You mean a fairy tale!"  He exclaimed as he quickly thought of the ones he knew.

"No," Alissa replied in a no-nosense tone.  "They are _princess stories!_    Why do you always do this, Uncle Eric?"

"What am I doing now?"

She gave him a glare that must run in the Bristow family-Jack and Sydney both had that look down pat.  

"You _always_ have to flustrate me, don't you?  Can't you be more like my Daddy?"

"I wouldn't want to be like your Daddy.  He's too boring.  If I was your Daddy I'd have to be more responsible and we couldn't have as much fun."

"I have fun with Daddy too!  He's not boring," she exclaimed and stuck out her tongue.

"Whatever you say, Sweetie.  I've known your Daddy longer then you have.  So there!"  He stuck his tongue out in response.

Alissa gasped.  "My Daddy would never stick his tongue out at me!"

"See?  He's boring!"

"Fine!" She huffed, sounding much older then she was.  "Are you going to tell me a story now?"

"Sure.  Want this window open or closed?"

"Closed, please."

After closing the window, he sat down on the bed next to her, trying hard to recall a story he could tell her.

"Princess story…princess story…" he muttered under his breath.

"Come on, Uncle Eric!  You have to know at least _one_ princess story!"

"Well, what if I don't know one?  Then what?"

She bit her lower lip and thought for a moment.  Then exclaimed, "I could tell you one!  Want me to tell you a princess story, Uncle Eric?  I know lots!"

Without any back-up plan, nor a story to tell her, he replied, "Sure.  I'd love that, Alissa."

"Okay," she seriously began.  "You must pay attention, you need to learn more princess stories."

"And why is that?" he cautiously inquired.

"So you can tell them to your kids, Silly!"

He blinked and looked at her.  "My kids?  I don't have any kids."

"I know that!  But you will when we find you someone to kiss," she nodded.

"Someone to kiss?  What's that suppose to mean?  And who's 'we'?"

Alissa shook her head.  "Never mind.  I have to tell you the story now.

"Once upon a time there lived a princess named…named Francie.  One day, Princess Francie-"

"Wait!  Princess Francie?" Eric cautiously asked.

It had been years since Francie had died.  Alissa had never known her, nor had he or Michael met her.  He was unsure about how Alissa had heard about her, because he knew Sydney didn't like talking about what had happened.

"Yes, Princess Francie.  That's _always_ the princess' name.  Mommy always tells me about Princess Francie."

"Oh."

"Now, one day, Princess Francie had an idea…"

Alissa told the story she had memorized, throwing in new things every once in awhile and also stopping to answer Eric's questions.  It was a long story, one that Alissa had to have heard tons of times, yet she got excited at her favorite parts and never was bored of what was happening to Princess Francie.

"Then, she met Prince Eric, and they fell in love-"

"Wait!  Prince Eric?  Is he named after me?" Eric asked with a wink.

"I don't know.  Maybe.  Do you know any Francies?  Because if you do you could fall in love and live happily ever after!  Then you'd have someone to kiss!"  Alissa exclaimed at her newly thought idea.  "Maybe Mommy knew a Francie that she thought you could kiss.  Do you know her?"

He wasn't sure what to tell her.  Talking about Francie was definitely a no-no, he was sure.  So, he went the safe route.

"Nope.  I'm sure it's just a name your mom likes so she used it a lot," he quickly glanced at the clock.  "Whoa!  It's getting late, do you think we can finish the story tomorrow?"

"I guess," she yawned.  "I'm not really tired, and," she yawned again, "we're just getting to the part where Princess Francie's fairy godmother comes.  I like that part.  I wish I had a fairy godmother."

He smiled at her.  "Well, maybe someday you'll find one.  Right now, you need to go to sleep.  Want a night light?"

"Nope!  I'm a big girl, I don't need a night light."  She threw her arms around his neck and gave his cheek a kiss.  "Night, Uncle Eric!"

"Night.  Sleep tight and have good dreams, alright?"

"Okay," she murmured already half asleep.

Eric closed the door and the room was enveloped in a still darkness.  The only thing that was moving was the curtains that framed the open window from the cool night breeze.


	5. Open Windows, Open Eyes

Chapter 5- "Open Windows, Open Eyes" 

_Eric closed the door and the room was enveloped in a still darkness.  The only thing that was moving was the curtains that framed the open window from the cool night breeze._

The room was dark, and the occupant of the room was blissfully unaware of any movement in the room whatsoever.  A lone figure crept closer to the bed, debating her actions.  Deciding on impulse not to worry about what might happen, she stealthily leaped onto the bed. 

"Uncle Eric!"  Alissa squealed loudly.

"Ugh, 'Lissa, what time is it?"  Eric sleepily asked not even bothering opening his eyes.

"It's…" she looked quickly around the room.  Seeing no clock, she decided, "It's 9 o'clock!"

Eric groaned.  "It can't be that late, the sun's not even shining yet."

"You have to wake up Uncle Eric!  I found something.  I need you to read it to me.  Please?"

With a sigh, Eric opened his eyes, let them adjust to the poor lighting and sat up.

"It's got my name on it, Uncle Eric, so I know it's for me.  I just don't know what some of the other words are.  Can you help me?"

"Sure, but after I do, can we go back to sleep for a bit longer?"

Alissa nodded in agreement and handed a piece of paper to him.  He read it through, and his eyes became wide in shock.

"Oh my word," he breathed.

Scooting closer to him, Alissa asked, "What?  What does it say, Uncle Eric?!"

After reading the paper again, Eric looked down into her emerald eyes.  "Honey, where did you find this?"

She gave him a look as if he was asking her a silly question.  "In my room.  On the table next to my bed.  What does it say?"

"Show me where it was."

"Alright," she sighed.

She jumped off the bed and ran back to her room.  Eric followed, reading the note again as he went. 

**_Dearest Alissa,_**

**_I'm watching over you.  Be a good girl for your Uncle Eric.  Try not to cause too much trouble._**

**_Love,_**

**Your Fairy Godmother**

It was the same handwriting from the notes that Michael had found.  Someone was playing a game with them.  And they were too close for comfort.

Alissa showed Eric where she had found the note and hopped onto the bed.  Eric looked around the room for some sign of a break in.  He checked the window that he had closed the night before.  Only then did he notice that, although still closed, the lock on the window had been unlocked.  

"Alissa, did you open the window?"

"No.  Remember?  I told you I wanted it shut and you shut it for me.  Why would I open it again? You're acting weird, Uncle Eric.  What's going on?"

With a worried look, he replied simply, "I think we need to go talk to your Daddy."

~*~*~*~*~

After getting home late, Michael Vaughn felt frazzled and was quite at his wits end.  Evidence that had been recovered had given them enough clues to zone in on one specific area.  A team was going to raid a large abandoned warehouse the next night, to search for Sydney.  

He stumbled into the bed that he shared with Sydney without even bothering to change his clothes.  A silent prayer was sent up that it would be the last night he spent in his home alone and that everything would come to an end soon to remain just a bad memory, never to be repeated.

There were plenty of other memories that he would rather relive then this one.  Their first date after the SD-6 take down, the night he proposed to Sydney, their wedding and the night that had followed were all sweet memories that played through his head.  But, two of the most precious to him, ones that he held the most dear, was the day that Sydney told him they were going to be parents and the day Alissa had been born.  Even remembering those moments now made him smile wearily.  

The love he had for those two overcame every other feeling he had.    They were his life, and if something were to happen to one of them, he didn't know what he would do.

"Dear God," he quietly whispered. "Please keep my girls safe.  I know that you were the One who gave them to me, but please…please," he choked, full of emotion, "don't take them from me now."

As he ended his prayer, a sudden urge to call Eric's house and talk to Alissa came upon him.  He picked up his cell phone that lay on the table next to the bed.  With a look at the clock that rested on the same table, he knew that he couldn't call.

With a worried sigh, he set his phone back down, and laid back into his pillow.  Before he drifted off into a light sleep, his head was filled with worries for Sydney.

00

After four hours of a restless sleep, Michael Vaughn was startled awake by the ringing of his cell phone.  Immediately, he reached for it and pushed the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Mike, it's Eric.  Are you home right now?"  Came the voice from the other end.

"Yeah, I am.  I was asleep actually.  It's only," he looked at the clock that was beside him, "6:30, I'm surprised you aren't sleeping as well."

"Well…"

Michael didn't like the tone in Eric's voice.  "What's wrong?"  He questioned quickly.

Eric took a deep breath that worried Michael.  Something wasn't right.

"We, well, not we exactly, but Alissa…" Eric began, choosing his words cautiously, "Alissa found a note in her bedroom this morning.  It has the same hand writing as the ones that you have.  Something's going on here, Mike."

_'Another note,'_ Michael thought, _'Why would someone leave 'Lissa a note?'_

"Mike?"

"Yeah, I'm here.  Okay, you and Alissa come over here, I'll call Jack and we'll go in."

"So why come over to your place?"

"So Alissa can pick out some things to bring with her.  She needs something besides Jack's chair to keep her occupied, obviously.  Some coloring books or something she can do while we're planning.  Did you hear about the raid tomorrow night?"

"Yes,  Jack called me about that.  Don't worry about it.  I'll watch Alissa for you.  At your place of course."

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but Michael didn't quite understand his friend's motives.

"Why at my place?" He curiously questioned.

"So that she can sleep in her own bed and when she wakes up, her mommy will be home."

"You really think we'll find her, don't you?"

You could almost hear the smile in Eric's voice, "Yeah, man.  I really do. You have to believe that you will.  You have to trust that and remind yourself, or you'll never be able to hold yourself together."

"Thank you,"  were the only words that Michael could say.

He was thankful to have a friend such as Eric to help out.  Whenever something happened, he could rely on him to help, and Eric would think nothing of it.  His common answer would be, "That's what friends are for."  That must be it.

"Don't worry about it.  We'll be at your place in about fifteen minutes."

"Alright," was his last response as he hung up the phone.  

With a despondent sigh, and one last survey of the clock, Michael climbed out of bed.  After changing from his rumpled clothes, he went downstairs to wait for Eric and Alissa to arrive, wishing simply to hold his daughter.


	6. Missing Mommy

Chapter 6- "Missing Mommy" 

****

When the doorbell rang nearly half an hour later, Michael Vaughn rushed to answer it.  He felt a bit panicked because he knew it took around fifteen minutes to reach the house from Eric's and they were very late.  Fearing something else had happened was tearing him apart, and so the relief he felt when he opened the door and saw his daughter's face was immeasurable.  

He swept her up into his arms and held her tight.  

"Je t'aime, Daddy,"  Alissa exclaimed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Je t'aime, Baby,"  he replied.

"What about me?"  Eric asked as he walked in and shut the door behind him.  "Oh, and thanks for inviting me in."

Michael set Alissa down and she tugged on his shirt and beckoned him down to her.  After he went down on his knees in front of her, she preceded to tell him, "I think we need to find Uncle Eric someone to kiss.  It makes him sad that no one loves him, but he won't admit it," with whispered confidence.  

He nodded in agreement and replied, "Okay.  Now, this is what we're going to do today, are you ready for this?"

"Yes!  Tell me!  Is Mommy coming home?"

Michael looked up from his position on the floor to meet Eric's eyes.  After seeing the hopeful smile and short nod, he looked back at his daughter's anticipating eyes.

"Let me get there, okay," he said softly.  "Alright.  Now, you're going to go and get something to do…coloring books, or something like that, because your Uncle Eric and I have to go back to work, so you'll be coming with us.  That way you won't be bored while we work."

"Can I color a princess picture for Mommy to give to her on Sunday?"

"Sure, that's fine.  Why Sunday though?"

"Because it's Mother's day!  Did you forget to get Mommy's present?"  Alissa questioned with wide eyes, waiting for his answer.

"No,  I didn't forget the present.  I just forgot that was this week."

"Oh…that's alright, you're allowed to forget some things.  What else are we doing?"

"Then," he continued, "after we're done working, Uncle Eric's going to bring you back here, so you can go to bed, and I'm…" he trailed off.

What was he going to tell her?  He didn't want to say that he was going to go get Sydney, because there was a chance that she wouldn't be there.  It would break her heart if he was to tell her that and then they couldn't find Sydney.

"He's got to go somewhere for work, so I'm going to stay here with you.  He'll be back, but we're going to spend some time together.  Maybe you can finish that story for me, okay?" Eric intervened.

Nodding slowly, Alissa solemnly replied, "Alright.  Daddy?"

After sending a thankful glance to Eric, he responded, "Yes,  Sweetie?"

"Is Mommy going to come home soon?  I miss her."

"Come here," he pulled Alissa toward him and sat down Indian style on the floor.  After she had settled in his lap, leaning until in chest with his arms wrapped snugly around her, he continued.  "I miss Mommy, too.  She'll be back soon.  I promise you that I'm going to do everything I can to bring her home for you, alright?"

She wiggled out of his arms and turned to look at him.  "Daddy, even if you don't find Mommy, I'll still love you, okay?"

Michael Vaughn was not a man prone to crying, but when he heard those words from his daughter, it took everything in him to keep himself from sobbing.  Was she really that perceptive?  When had she grown up so much without him noticing?

"But, Daddy?" She continued, pulling him out of his quiet thoughts.  "Please, find her for me."

He wiped the tears that were streaming down her face away and answered, "I will.  I promise I will," he drew her in for a desperate hug.

He had promised.  And he was going to do everything he could to keep that promise.

~*~*~*~*~

The room was dim and very cold.  Those were the first observations Sydney had been able to make about her dwelling when she regained consciousness from the blow to the head she had received at the park.  She was unsure of her captor's identity, although she had strong suspicions as to who it was or could be.  

At the park, she had no warning of what was to come.  They had snuck up on her from behind as she was retrieving the picnic basket from the car.  With one blow to the head, they had rendered her unconscious.  She had awoken hours later, unsure how much time had passed or where she was.  

The interior of the room was bare- with concrete floors, no windows and only one dim overhead light.  So, with a splitting headache, Sydney was forced to suffer the cold floor in silent solitude, worrying-- not for herself, but for Alissa and Michael.  She had been through worse then this before,  but if anything were to happen to either of them, she knew she would come apart.  They were her only anxieties, her weakness.

She had been drifting in and out of consciousness, which made her wonder if she had been drugged after her kidnapping.  Earlier, she had found that sitting up caused her dizziness and nausea.  Fearing she would be sick, Sydney continued to lay still.  

Not that sleep was any better.  Torturing images of Michael and Alissa haunted her.  Nightmares had not been much of a problem since her marriage, but when they were, often the only thing that helped was having Michael near.  His whispered reassurance had a calming effect, one that she was longing for at that moment.  

Her contemplations were interrupted by loud footsteps outside the door.  They sounded as if they were coming toward her "cell".  Determined not to appear weak, to remain strong, Sydney sat up quickly.

Too quickly.

Through the intense buzzing in her ears, Sydney thought she heard a key turn the lock in the door.  But her nausea accentuated from her abrupt movement, and before the man could walk through the door, the very little that was left in her stomach found its way to cover the floor.

And when the door opened, and a slight beam of light slipped in, she found herself unwillingly succumbing to darkness.

_And if the darkness is to keep us apart  
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off  
And if your glass heart should crack  
Before the second you turn back  
Oh no, be strong_

_-"Walk On" -U2_


	7. Conversations

_Chapter 7-"Conversations"_

"Good morning Mr. Rob!"  Alissa cheerfully exclaimed.

The guard looked up from an open book that was setting in front of him.  A smile formed on his face as he recognized who was calling his name.  

"Well, hello," came his reply as he closed his book.  "Coming to work two days in a row, huh?  You know Kendall's not gonna be happy about that, Mr. Vaughn."

As he handed Rob his card to be swiped, Michael commented, "I know that.  When is he ever happy about something?  But I have no other choice.  He'll have to deal with it."  

Rob handed him his card back and took Eric's.

"He wouldn't like that answer though, would he Mr. Vaughn?"  Rob grinned, knowing the answer to his question.  

Michael smiled in agreement.  "What book are you reading, Rob?"

"War and Peace," Rob returned.  "It's required reading for my history class," he shrugged.

When Eric had been given his card back, they started walking toward the entrance.  

"Thanks, Rob.  Have a good day," Michael said.

"Bye, Mr. Rob!" Alissa chimed in.

"Have a good day, Mr. Vaughn, Mr. Weiss!" Rob called to their retreating backs.  He then proceeded in reading his book.

~*~*~*~*~

Michael lifted Alissa and set her in the chair at his desk.  After walking into the building, Eric had departed to his own desk.  After placing her coloring books and crayons in front of her on the desk, he began combing the room for Jack.

"Honey, you sit here and color for me, I'm going to go talk to your grandpa," he told his daughter after spotting the person he needed to speak with.

But as Michael began making his way to his father-in-law, a person stepped in his way, becoming an obstacle.  Kendall.

"Agent Vaughn, this office is not a day care center,"  he gave a indignant glare first at the younger agent, then in the direction that his daughter sat, content with her coloring book and crayons.

Michael gave a frustrated sigh as he looked Kendall directly in the eye.  "Sir, I know very well what this office is.  Right now, however, my family is my priority.  Sydney is gone, as you very well know, and the only option I had was to bring Alissa with me this morning.  Now, I realize that you may not like that, but you're going to just accept the fact that--"

"_You_ are against office protocol by bringing her here not only now, but yesterday also.  I know very well that Sydney is missing.  We are attempting everything we can to get her back.  But just because she is gone does not mean you have permission to bring your daughter to work with you."

"Well what would you suggest I do, _Mr. Kendall?  Leave her home by herself?" Michael remonstrated, becoming frustrated more with each angry word that was exchanged._

"Michael, may I speak with you a minute?"  Jack's voice interrupted the argument.

With a guiding hand, Jack led Michael away from Kendall.  His frangibility being obvious, Jack knew it was best to intervene and  help Michael calm down.    

"Michael, you see that little girl sitting over there?"  Jack pointed to where Alissa sat.  After Michael's acknowledgment, he continued.  "That little girl needs her mother back.  Arguing with Kendall, no matter how badly he needs telling off, will get us no where.  Just focus on what you need to do.  Let me handle Kendall, alright?"

"Thanks, Jack," he nodded with a small smile.  "I'm going to go talk to Lissa for a minute, then I'll meet all of you in the conference room."

He watched his son-in-law walk over to his desk and crouch down next to his daughter, before he returned to where Kendall stood.

"I suggest," he began, narrowing his eyes, "that you treat Michael Vaughn with the amount of common courtesy that is appropriate.  No harm is being done by having Alissa sitting at his desk, coloring a picture for her mother that is _missing_."

Kendall opened is mouth to begin speaking, but Jack raised a hand to deter the action.

"No.  Now, when you decide you can speak to someone in my family without being so condescending, we have a debrief that needs to take place.  The sooner we do that, the sooner we can remove Alissa from this office.  Understood?"

A harsh scowl was the only reply that was given before Kendall stalked off toward the conference room.  

Satisfied that his point had been sufficiently made, Jack went to go find the remaining people that would be joining him for the debrief.

~*~*~*~*~

"Alright, Alissa,  I got to go talk with Uncle Eric and Grandpa Jack now.  I'll be back soon, I promise.  Be a good girl,"  Michael smiled to his small daughter.  

He received a grin in return.  "I will be, Daddy.  Don't worry about me! Will Mr. Marshall be in there too?"  She questioned.  After receiving her father's nod, she frowned.  "He was going to show me something."

"I'm sure he can show you when we're finished talking in there, alright?" 

She nodded in agreement.  "Alright.  Have fun, Daddy! Make sure Uncle Eric is good.  I'll color you a pretty picture, okay?"   She went back to her coloring.

Michael gave her pig-tailed braid a gentle tug.  "Hey.  Give me a kiss."

She turned with a smile and kissed his cheek loudly. "Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, Lissa.  I have to go now.  Be good."

"I will!" she sighed.  "I'm always a good girl!"

He smiled at her as she went back to her coloring book.  After watching her color contently for a few seconds, he turned and walked to the conference room, fully ready to prepare to rescue Sydney.
    
    _"I believe in you_
    
    _I'd give up everything just to find you_
    
    _I have to be with you_
    
    _To live_
    
    _To breathe_
    
    _You're taking over me._ "
    
    -_Taking Over Me_, _Evanescence_


End file.
